Hello Sweetie
by AnotherDeadBlonde
Summary: On the fifth anniversary of Elphaba's "death", Glinda stands and watches the fireworks off in the distance. She is so lost in her grief that she doesn't truly even realize who has just wrapped their arms around her waist. -Romantic Gelphie-
1. Chapter 1

The sound of fireworks echoed off in every direction, their bright and magnificent colors could be seen for miles, the way they were every year on that fateful day; the anniversary of the death of the Wicked Witch of the West.

It had been the fifth year those fireworks were used.

The fifth year that the people of Oz danced in the streets in remembrance.

And also, it was the the fifth year that Glinda, Throne Minister of Oz, stood on her balcony and watched the _celebration_; the smell of sulfur burning her nostrils and the feeling of hot tears trailing down her face.

For five years, she had lived without Elphaba, something she never had wanted to even think about when her and the beautiful green woman were roommates. Of course, they had "hated" each other at first, loathed one another, but Glinda had found herself quickly falling for her unconventional friend very quickly. She never mentioned a word of her feelings to Elphaba, something she regretted deeply every day of her life.

She tried telling herself that the sadness would pass, the heartache would cease, and that she'd move on.

This was not the case.

Every day it seemed as if her longing for Elphaba, her desire for Elphaba, her need for Elphaba to be alive again grew larger in scale. Especially when standing upon that balcony watching those damned fireworks off in the distance. Every day she heard Elphaba's voice. She could feel Elphaba's touch. She could see her within her dreams. Every day her mind teased her and reminded her what had been taken so horribly from her grasp. And because of that, the sadness would not pass, the heartache would not cease, and Glinda could not simply move on.

This day would be different from the others though.

Glinda jumped slightly every time a firework went off, never getting used to the noise. She stepped closer to the railing and laid her hands upon the cold metal. She stood like that and mindlessly watched, the celebrations usually going on for hours; there was no use trying to ignore it, let alone sleep through it, so Glinda had no choice but to watch.

The woman was so out of touch, lost in that moment, that she barely even felt the slender arms wrap around her waist and a figure press up against her. It didn't phase her or scare her. It simply felt as it always did when she could practically feel like Elphaba's presence was near. That's what she always referred to it as; a presence.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" The husky voice whispered. Glinda could, in her mind, practically feel the breath on her neck.

"I hate what they represent." Was Glinda's reply, her voice quiet and broken.

"And what is that?"

"That you're not here."

The 'presence' laughed. "You know, they're all so small minded idiots down there, dancing about and such. Think of it. Something so innocent as water, something that gives life to every human, every witch even, could bring about something so _terrible_ as death upon one of those said humans or witches. Like I said … _idiots_."

It was that statement that made Glinda stand up a little straighter. Never had the presence spoken so much before. It was only usually little sentences here and there, or even just a whisper of the blonde's name. Her heart began skipping beats in her chest.

"What do you mean?" Glinda whispered, feeling mad for practically arguing with a presence of all things. "I watched you die Elphie … I watched you die. You're not here. You're simply a figment of my mind, like always. You're not here." She tried to tell herself more than she tried to tell the 'presence.' Her voice thick with emotion as the sordid memory, the horrible echo of Elphaba's screams rang in her ears once more. Though, despite this, a little glimmer of hope flickered in the back of her mind but she shook it off. It was a mad thought. A mad mad thought. "You're not real."

"Not this time." It whispered backed. "Not this time my sweet."

Glinda let out an exasperated and shaky breath. She leaned back more into the figure, feeling them, their arms still around her waist, grabbing slightly at the fabric of her dress around her hips. The blonde preyed one hand off the metal railing; lifting it shakily backwards over her shoulder, past what sensed to be the figure's head, and slowly latched her hand together to grab a fistful of silky hair at the base of their neck. She heard the figure hiss in her ear, a slight chuckle following. Glinda herself let out a small sob from her pink lips. She shook her head.

"I'm so confused." Glinda whispered in admittance, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Turn around." They replied.

"No."

"Glin."

"I can't.

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid."

"Of what, my sweet?"

Glinda paused for a moment. "That this is some horrifying trick."

"Glinda … Let go of my hair and the railing … and turn around."

Tears rolled down her face, Glinda's head spinning. Nothing mad sense. Nothing had made sense since Elphaba had left her life, but this? She had no clue what was happening, no clue what was truly real anymore within that moment. After another hesitant pause, the frottican did as the figure said; slowly releasing her grip on both the long locks and the railing. The figure pulled their arms away from Glinda's waist and she felt their body move away and take a step back.

Glinda wiped her eyes and took a moment. She knew whether or not what was behind her, she was going to break down. If Elphaba wasn't truly there with her, that her mind had played the most horrid trick of all, she had no idea how she could handle that. She felt the same if Elphaba really was somehow behind her. There was only one way to find out. Finally, with a boost of confidence in herself, the blonde exhaled and turned quickly. A loud sob left her lips at what she saw before her.

"Hello sweetie." Elphaba whispered, her own eyes gleaming with tears.


	2. Chapter 2

"Elphaba." Glinda whispered, cupping the green woman's face with shaking hands. She couldn't ask herself whether it was real or not, she already knew the answer. How? That was the better question. How was it real? How was Elphaba real; standing before her five years to the day Glinda had, at least she thought, watched the beautiful green witch melt.

"I don't know whether to slap you or kiss you." Glinda finally said after a few beats of silence, still staring into Elphaba's dark brown eyes.

"Well. I know which one I prefer and which one I know deserve." Just as the words left Elphaba's lips, Glinda's hand came up and struck her across the cheek, the sound of the hit echoing out loudly.

"Like I said … I deserve that." Elphaba said with a sigh and a chuckle, thinking back to their cat fight on Nessa's grave five years prior. Oh memories.

"You deserve a lot worse for what you've put me through Elphaba Thropp." Glinda whispered. She shook her head. "And I only have one thing to say to you."

"And that is?"

"Where the _hell_ have you been?!"

"A nice sized realm, many different kingdoms within. I used a realm crossing potion to get there and I've been living in an abandoned castle alone."

"And what? You didn't think to tell me that you were alive? That Dorothy didn't kill you?!" Glinda yelled tearfully at the witch, the two never breaking gaze.

"Glin …" Elphaba started, exhaling and shaking her own head. "You know I couldn't. I couldn't risk taking you with me."

"You could have tried." Glinda replied sharply.

"I know. But I didn't even know if the spell would work or not, if I'd be alive when I got to the new realm, I had no idea what would happen; I also couldn't risk that if I couldn't find a hiding place, that I'd be killed or what not. Like I said, I wasn't going to risk your life."

Glinda stepped closer to the green witch, their lips only a few inches apart. "I would have rather died on the run with you … then spend these last five years in a living hell mourning you Elphaba." She whispered angrily, her breath hot on Elphaba's face. She watched Elphaba's eyes fill with tears and her lip begin to quiver. They were such small things, but it was some of the most emotion Elphaba had ever shown; always being one to lock away her feelings.

"I'm so sorry Glin." The dark haired woman whispered back.

"No you're not." The blonde replied sharply.

"How can you say that?!"

"Because if you were sorry, then you wouldn't have waited five years."

"I waited five damn years because I was scared!"

"Scared of what?!"

"Scared of this!" Elphaba motioned between the two of them. "That you'd hate me!"

"Well can you blame me?"

"No … I know what I did was horrible in every sense of the word and I'm so sorry. Every time I thought about coming back, all I saw was this. What's happening right now."

"Then why did you come back?" Glinda laughed, shaking her head. "If this is what you expected, what you wanted to avoid even, then why in Oz would you come back?"

A few tears rolled down Elphaba's face. The green woman bit her lip slowly before speaking. "Because I love you more than life itself Glinda and I missed you. I missed you so much that I risked coming back and having you hate me for the chance that maybe,_ just maybe_, you wouldn't hate me and that …"

"That what?" Glinda whispered, sick to her stomach.

"That … you'd come back with me."


End file.
